The First Date
by HighLadyofTerrasen
Summary: Rowaelin AU! Rated T just to be safe. First Rowaelin fanfic. Hope you enjoy. Please comment!
1. Chapter 1

She stared and stared at the carnage that had greeted her upon her return home. Why, she thought, was the couch lying on its back, the chairs scattered everywhere, and her handbag nowhere to be seen? She was already late, goddamn it, she didn't have time for this. Aelin finally had a chance to have dinner with the new guy in her class. Rowan. Aelin studied English literature in college, and he had just joined her class. He was unusual, if ever anyone was. If his bright green eyes and shining silver hair weren't enough, there was the matter of the beautiful, scrolling tattoo that travelled down half his face, down his neck and extended across his arm. She had finally, after weeks of nagging, managed to get him to agree to go out tonight. _Just as friends_ he had warned her. Humph. She's show him just as friends. Aelin was stunning, and she knew it. She had bright, golden hair that just brushed her collarbones. Her eyes were clearest blue, with a ring of golden fire around the pupil. And she was currently dressed to impress. Wearing a beautiful green dress, with silver jewellery dripping from her, she looked striking. And she wanted to strike whoever had wrecked her apartment. The perpetrator slinked in from the kitchen with a welcoming little bark. Aelin glared at her dog Fleetfoot. A beautiful greyhound crossed with something that could very possibly have been a wolf from her size, Aelin's dog shared her penchant for mischief. This was not the first time Aelin had come home to find said home turned upside down. There was only one thing to do. Aelin took a deep breath before taking out her phone to call her cousin Aedion.

Aedion was not happy. Aelin had known he wouldn't be, but it wasn't like she had a choice. She was late to meet Rowan. Besides, Aedion had never been able to say no to her. Sure enough, after Aelin had spent another two minutes begging, cajoling and finally threatening, Aedion hung up on her mid-sentence. She smirked. Any minute now. Sure enough, soon Aedion was barging into her apartment, eliciting an eye roll from Aelin. Had he never learned to knock? Aedion briefly surveyed the damage. "Damn. Hurricane Fleetfoot strikes again then?" he turned to her, a smirk on his face which quickly melted into a frown when he saw her outfit. "Where are you going?"

 _Damn._ Aelin thought. _Busted._ The cousins had grown up together, and Aedion saw Aelin as his little sister. His little sister of whom he was very protective. There was no way he would let her go to meet Rowan without a fight, which she just didn't have time for. Not that he could tell her what to do, but she was already late. "I'm late to meet Lysandra and Elide, we're going out tonight. Why do you ask?" The mention of Lysandra, Aelin's closest friend and Aedion's crush, turned resulted in a faint blush appearing on Aedion's face. _Bingo._ "No reason, have a good night. I'll take care of this." That was all she needed to hear Aelin grabbed her bag and raced out the door. Rowan was waiting.


	2. Chapter 2

***Thanks to everyone who commented, favorited etc. the last chapter. This is my first Rowaelin fanfic, so I was really happy to get such positive feedback! Please keep reviewing!***

As she flew down the street towards the Italian restaurant Rowan had suggested, Aelin called her best friend and often partner-in-crime, Lysandra. Picking up on the third ring, Lysandra purred into the phone "This wouldn't have anything to do with a certain girl's night I had no knowledge of?" Aelin stifled a groan as she hurried down the street. Of course Aedion had called her. "You didn't say anything to him, did you?" She knew, of course, that Lysandra wouldn't say anything to her cousin, but she had to be 100% sure. The last thing she needed was to see an angry Aedion barrelling into the restaurant like a freight train. "Of course not!" Lysandra's indignant tone was enough to make Aelin snort with repressed laughter. "But, if you're not on the phone to me by ten a.m. tomorrow, he might just get a call….." "Fine, you demon. I'll call you first thing tomorrow. Now, goodbye."

As Aelin hung up on her curious friend, she spotted her date strolling towards her. Not that it's hard to spot him, she reflected, he's even taller than Aedion. As she waited for him to approach her, she idly wondered how he managed to look like he was contemplating the best way to eviscerate everyone who stepped within a foot of him. With his looks Rowan could have any woman on campus if it wasn't for his ever present, menacing scowl. As he approached her, Aelin suddenly felt self-conscious, before forcing her spine to straighten. She was Aelin Ashryver Galathynius, and she would not be afraid. She forced a jaunty slant to her lips, and purred "Hello handsome."

Rowan's only reaction was to look her up and down, before informing her "You're late." Aelin bristled. She looked gorgeous and he knew it, and a complement would be appreciated. As if he could read her mind, Rowan glanced back at her. "You look….. nice." He said, his lips moving into a half smile that made his eyes sparkle. "You don't look half bad yourself," she offered him, before strutting through the open doors of the restaurant. The fragrances of spices from every continent mingled to create a warm, homely atmosphere. She turned to see Rowan staring after her. "You coming?" He started, before allowing the half smile to blossom into a grin that made her blush despite herself. As they walked into the restaurant side by side, she breathed a sigh of relief that he hadn't left, despite her tardiness.

As the night progressed, Aelin and Rowan never stopped talking, with Aelin asking him about karate (he was a black belt), while he questioned her on taekwondo (so was she). The conversed about classes and lecturers and the university, about their lives and what they had done and wanted to do. The laughed until their sides hurt, and when they had finished eating, they walked until their feet were sore. Rowan didn't push her to talk about what had happened to her parents, or Nehemia, the car accidents that had killed them, and she didn't question him on how his girlfriend Lyria had died. The each accepted the other had a history and respected it to be just that, their history. As they strolled back towards Aelin's house to continue their conversation, they spied a couple sitting on a park bench, talking quietly. They gasped. "That's not…" "It can't be…" "It is!" It was with disbelief in their eyes that they saw Lorcan, Rowans long-time friend and Elide, Aelin's best friend after Lysandra, laughing and talking quietly together. They kept chatting, oblivious to Aelin and Rowan behind them, until Lorcan suddenly looked up. The males stared at each other for a moment, until Lorcan broke the silence. "You're with HER?" Aelin, who had been gaping at Elide, mastered the power of speech enough to ask Elide "You're with HIM?" The four regarded each other for a moment, before simultaneously exclaiming "HOW?"


	3. Chapter 3

_***Thanks again to everyone who reviewed or favorited this story. It means a lot to me to get constructive criticism or feedback, so please keep reviewing! This is the last chapter in this story, but I'll probably be doing more Rowaelin fanfics soon. Hope you enjoy!***_

 _ ***Disclaimer : Unfortunately, I own nothing you recognise. It all belongs to the wonderful Sarah.**_

Aelin could see Rowan striving to come up with a viable reason for him to be strolling hand-in-hand through the park with Aelin Galathynius. By the look of it, Lorcan was doing the same for Elide, while she cringed away from Aelin's penetrating stare. After waiting a moment to see whether Rowan was going to come up with anything good, Aelin tossed her hair over her shoulder, before answering Lorcan's question. "Well, when Rowan asked me to go out tonight, I really felt it wouldn't be right to…." "Hold on, _I_ asked _you_? I don't think so princess," Rowan interrupted. Aelin watched Lorcan raise a sceptical eyebrow at the term of endearment, causing her date to blush. He turned to his friend. "Well, how did you end up giggling on a park bench with _Elide Lochan_? "Wouldn't you like to know," was his answer. The sight of the retort brewing in Rowan's eyes was enough to make Aelin say "Right, well we were on our way to my apartment, so we'll leave you to your" she paused before finishing with a wicked smile "canoodling." As Lorcan and Elide both choked on her choice of words, Aelin grabbed Rowan's hand and sashayed away, Rowan chuckling all the while.

As they made their way back to her apartment, still laughing at their friend's faces, Aelin remembered that this date very nearly hadn't happened. She grinned, before remarking to Rowan "I never gave you an explanation as to why I was so inexcusably late to our little outing." Rowan snorted at her wording, and poked an elbow at her ribs. "Don't think I've forgotten that Princess. You're lucky I didn't leave." "Oh really. Well, unfortunately for you, I have a dog that gets bored easily. Fortunately for me, I also have a cousin willing to clean up my messes." As she said this, Aelin realised they had reached the front door of her apartment on the outskirts of Orynth. She began to dig around in her bag for her key, before she was stopped by a hand on hers. "Lucky for both of us," Rowan said "that I have patience." Aelin would have made a cutting remark in response, but at that moment, Rowan leaned in and kissed her cheek. It was so unexpected, so….. tentative, that Aelin found herself reaching up and looping her arms around his neck. "Lucky for both of his," she repeated, "that _I_ am persistent enough to keep asking a stubborn buzzard to go on a date." With that he leaned in, and she allowed herself a small smile before closing the distance between them. The kiss was short and sweet, and when they broke apart Aelin saw a quiet happiness in Rowan's eyes. He leaned in again, but was stopped cold when she heard a familiar voice. "Well, look who's back from her _girls night_." Aelin began a string of vicious curses as she turned around to find her cousins hulking form filling the doorway.

"Hey Aedion," Aelin said as she breezed past Aedion into her apartment, dragging Rowan behind her, "how come your still here?" "Oh, I just figured I'd hang around to ask how your _girl's night_ went." Aedion's rage and wording caused understanding to dawn on Rowan's face. Aelin could almost read the words written in his eyes. _Your cousin didn't know you were going on a date tonight?_ Aelin smirked at him, before replying. _As if. Which is part of the reason I brought you in with me._ Faint panic bloomed in Rowan's eyes, and a blush appeared on his cheek. "Well cousin dearest, as much as I love you, it's late and Rowan and I have thing to discuss. You can lecture me tomorrow. Goodnight." At that, Aelin grabbed her cousin by the hand and essentially kicked him out of the house. The thump that set the door shaking suggested Aedion wasn't happy about it. She snorted, and turned to Rowan. "Well that was my delightful cousin Aedion. Where were we?"

The next few hours were spent laughing, cuddling with and getting to know Rowan. By the time he left, the clock had struck three and Aelin's apartment was a mess of playing cards from when Rowan had attempted to teach Aelin how to play cards _properly_ at two a.m. Aelin sighed happily before climbing into her massive four poster bed. It had been a great night.

The next morning at exactly 9:58, Aelin called Lysandra. After her friend had chirped a hello, Aelin smiled as she said "Lysandra, I need to introduce you to my new boyfriend." Rowan smiled from his spot on the couch, which he had taken up shortly after arriving at her apartment barely thirty minutes before. Aelin smiled back as Lysandra squealed and demanded details. Thank the gods that Rowan was patient enough to wait twenty minutes for her to show up. How else would she have met her equal, her match in every way?


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hi everyone, just to let you know that this story is finished. Thank you to everyone who supported and reviewed this story, it meant so much to me to have your support. I'm currently in the middle of writing another fanfic – A Throne of Glass and ACOTAR crossover. The first chapter is up loaded now – it's called Heir To War and Flames. Please check it out and let me know what you think!**

 **Love, HighLadyofTerrasen**


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